Lacking Responsibility

It certainly doesn’t take a long time before the lounge room-like bar at The Front in Lyneham starts to feel like an overcrowded cocktail party, but that’s what makes it perfect for an up-close-and-personal, intimate gig. An excited buzz filled the air as a diverse crowd tried to find space to sit, ready for what would hopefully be a very funny evening of local comedy.

Hosted by Canberran comedic veteran and director of the Canberra Comedy Festival Jay Sullivan, Lacking Responsibility is a new Canberra show which will be taken down to Melbourne for the upcoming comedy festival season. Featuring four young stand-ups, this performance was a taster of what promises to be a successful show.

Jay Sullivan eased the audience into the show, his experience in the craft clearly shining through. Sullivan’s Canberra-centric comedy was well received, with jokes about the bus system and its clientele starting the first laughs of the evening.

Before the four main acts, an up-and-comer Josh Glass performed a short set. His innocent jokes about being a virgin and not wanting to sleep with a girl in his dreams until he had been ‘dream married’ were particularly funny. The brave move of ending on a pun paid off, leaving the audience ready. Josh is one to watch in the future.

Simon Bower opened the show strongly, continuing the theme of virginity, and entering new territory with pieces about Facebook-hacking and the difficulties encountered when donating blood. The audience particularly enjoyed a story about a secret crush of his who happened to have the same name as his sister, as well as his inner alter-ego of a fussy, conservative older lady.

Harris Stuckey stepped up next, with a different direction and change of comedic pace, presenting a lot of short, almost one-liner jokes filled with puns. He started slowly, but quickly had the audience chuckling along. I did notice however that he apologised for many of the riskier jokes in his repertoire, which seems to be quite common among younger comedians compared to their Gen X counterparts.

After a short intermission to buy some more drinks and literally cool down the room, Shahed Sharify took control of the microphone for the second part of the show. A newer comic, having only started in June last year, his material was a bit hit and miss, although when it worked, Shahed had most of the room roaring with laughter. His idea of committing a robbery with an Eftpos machine was insightful.

Tim Noon closed the show brilliantly, with jokes about the creation of sushi by the wasabi industry and the idea of achieving ‘snail goals’. He was the most absurdist comic in the group. His ability to link later jokes with earlier material was masterful for someone of his age, ending the show on a high note.

The four young comedians worked brilliantly together and, if this preview is anything to go by, Melbourne is in for a quality show.